{"id":7713,"date":"2026-07-06T16:35:30","date_gmt":"2026-07-06T16:35:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/07\/06\/fifa-world-cup-mohamed-salah-and-the-ghosts-of-egypts-golden-generation\/"},"modified":"2026-07-06T16:35:30","modified_gmt":"2026-07-06T16:35:30","slug":"fifa-world-cup-mohamed-salah-and-the-ghosts-of-egypts-golden-generation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/07\/06\/fifa-world-cup-mohamed-salah-and-the-ghosts-of-egypts-golden-generation\/","title":{"rendered":"FIFA World Cup: Mohamed Salah and the ghosts of Egypt\u2019s \u2018golden generation\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"<div aria-live=\"polite\" aria-atomic=\"true\">\n<p>For some Egyptian football fans, watching Mohamed Salah qualify with Egypt for two World Cups in 2018 and 2026 will never make up for the fact that the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/features\/2024\/1\/19\/is-time-running-out-for-egypts-salah-to-win-afcon-in-messi-moment\">\u201cgolden generation\u201d<\/a> did not get their shot in 2006, 2010 or 2014.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt is unfair to compare the two generations,\u201d Ahmed Elshiekh, a former national team player who now covers the World Cup for Modern MTI TV, told Al Jazeera.<\/p>\n<section>\n<h2>Recommended Stories <\/h2>\n<p><span>list of 4 items<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><span>list 1 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/news\/2026\/7\/6\/why-fifas-balogun-red-card-suspension-after-trump-call-is-so-controversial\">Why FIFA\u2019s Balogun red card suspension after Trump call is so controversial<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 2 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/6\/who-is-leading-the-race-for-the-fifa-world-cup-2026-golden-boot-award\">Haaland matches Messi, Mbappe in race for World Cup\u2019s Golden Boot award<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 3 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/6\/portugal-vs-spain-fifa-world-cup-last-16-ronaldo-yamal-prediction-kickoff-start-time\">Ronaldo\u2019s Last Dance? Portugal face Spain in World Cup last-16 clash<\/a><\/li>\n<li><span>list 4 of 4<\/span><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/6\/which-teams-are-in-the-world-cup-quarterfinals-and-whats-the-schedule\">Which teams are in the World Cup quarterfinals, and what\u2019s the schedule?<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span>end of list<\/span><\/section>\n<p>\u201cThe golden generation did everything but get to the World Cup. They beat Italy [when they were World Cup champions]. The draw in qualification was just unkind to them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Salah is the captain and leader of the current generation. He won every trophy on offer while playing for Liverpool in a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/5\/23\/mohamed-salah-liverpool-final-match-legacy\">glittering nine-year career<\/a> that saw him become the highest scoring foreigner in the history of the English Premier League.<\/p>\n<p>Given his status, it is perhaps no surprise that Salah shouldered the blame for an AFCON drought that stretches back to 2010. His achievement in dragging Egypt to the 2018 World Cup in Russia is brushed aside due to the fact that Egypt was the first team to be eliminated. A half-fit Salah, who had dislocated his shoulder in the UEFA Champions League final, scored twice, but Egypt lost all three matches, including to Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n<p>The failures were compounded when Egypt lost the 2021 AFCON final to Senegal on penalty kicks. Thirteen months later, Egypt met Senegal in a World Cup playoff and once again lost on penalty kicks. In the first shootout, Salah was designated as the fifth taker but never got a chance to take his penalty. For the second shootout, perhaps realising his mistake, he went first and missed.<\/p>\n<p>Salah might have been one of the best players in the Premier League, but Egypt fans were frustrated. To soothe their pain, they hung on to the memories of a team that was crowned African champions in 2006, 2008 and 2010 \u2013 successes that were spearheaded by the legendary midfielder Mohamed Aboutrika, who is equally famous for his \u201cSympathise with Gaza\u201d T-shirt as he is for his immaculate first touch.<\/p>\n<p>The despondence was so deep that fans had lost hope for their national team. AFCON 2023 was blighted by an injury to Salah, who elected to return to Liverpool for rehabilitation but promised to return should the team advance to the final. Egypt\u2019s tournament ended shortly after that statement, courtesy of a penalty shootout defeat in the round of 16.<\/p>\n<p>Working at that time as an analyst for Egyptian TV, now-Egypt manager Hossam Hassan said that if Salah had done that on his watch, he would \u201cnever pick him for the national team again\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>A couple of weeks later, Hassan was appointed to lead the national team after Rui Vitoria\u2019s dismissal.<\/p>\n<p>It was widely speculated that the only reason the Egyptian Football Association hired Hassan was because the currency crisis had prevented them from attracting a foreign manager.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHossam Hassan as a player has achieved everything you can imagine,\u201d Elsheikh said, referencing the former striker\u2019s record 69 goals for Egypt and three AFCON titles.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cBut as a manager, we saw what he can produce, and the results were not great. \u2026 Also he brought problems and created crises.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The crises Elsheikh referred to have been a hallmark of Hassan\u2019s journeyman coaching career marked by brawls and altercations with fans.<\/p>\n<p>But the appointment proved to be a stroke of unintended genius.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_4740502\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-4740502\"><img decoding=\"async\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/AFP__20260703__B98J437__v1__HighRes__FblWc2026Match88AusEgy-1783345926.jpg?w=770&#038;resize=770%2C512&#038;quality=80\" alt=\"Mohamed Salah in action.\" fetchpriority=\"low\"><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-4740502\">Salah shoots and scores in a penalty shoot-out during the 2026 World Cup round of 32 football match between Australia and Egypt at the Dallas Stadium in Arlington on July 3, 2026 [Paul Ellis\/AFP]<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2 id=\"salah-finds-form-under-hassan\">Salah finds form under Hassan<\/h2>\n<p>Instead of falling out with Salah, he and Hassan became joined at the hip. If there was anyone who could understand the pressure of Salah\u2019s position, it was Hassan, who had lived it all before but with the added pressure of having played mostly in Egypt and having crossed the Cairo divide when he left Al Ahly to sign with bitter rivals Zamalek.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHassan does have a captain\u2019s personality and is very energetic. He might not be the strongest tactically, but he does provide a solid defensive base\u201d Elsheikh said.<\/p>\n<p>Salah has enjoyed a rich vein of form under Hassan\u2019s tutelage. Egypt qualified for the 2026 World Cup undefeated, winning eight out of their 10 matches. The team also reached the semifinals of the 2025 AFCON tournament \u2013 not that the achievement silenced any of the doubters.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, it\u2019s not all about Salah. Egypt have a raft of talented players, including Man City\u2019s Omar Marmoush and Al Ahly\u2019s Emam Ashour.<\/p>\n<p>Their undefeated team is going into the round of 16 to face defending champions Argentina on Tuesday. Egypt have overcome a great deal of adversity to reach this stage of the tournament as well.<\/p>\n<p>A second-half comeback against New Zealand in the group stage was needed to secure the nation\u2019s first win at a World Cup. Salah exited the final group game against Iran with a hamstring injury but played all 120 minutes of the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aljazeera.com\/sports\/2026\/7\/3\/egypt-beat-australia-on-penalties-to-win-first-world-cup-knockout-match\">penalty shootout win over Australia<\/a> in the last 32. The 34-year-old converted his kick with a Panenka against Socceroos goalkeeper Mat Ryan.<\/p>\n<p>In the aftermath of that victory, Aboutrika, now an analyst for beIN Sports, did his best to pass the baton to the new generation.<\/p>\n<p>Goalscorer Ashour had expressed his joy at being compared to Aboutrika, saying his ambition was to be \u201cas half as good or even a quarter as good as him\u201d.<\/p>\n<p>Later on in the studio, Aboutrika responded by saying: \u201cYou are better than [me]. You\u2019ve scored two goals in a World Cup,\u201d and insisting that this was the biggest night in the history of Egyptian football.<\/p>\n<p>Not everyone is so convinced.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis Egypt team is better than any we have seen in years yet is still remarkably fragile,\u201d opined Karim Zidan, a writer focused on the intersection of sports, power and politics.<\/p>\n<p>Salah, meanwhile, was once again asked who was the greatest Egyptian player of all time and again deferred to Aboutrika, saying \u201cthere is absolutely no discussion.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For some Egyptian football fans, watching Mohamed Salah qualify with Egypt for two World Cups in 2018 and 2026 will never make up for the fact that the \u201cgolden generation\u201d did not get their shot in 2006, 2010 or 2014. \u201cIt is unfair to compare the two generations,\u201d Ahmed Elshiekh, a former national team player &#8230; <a title=\"FIFA World Cup: Mohamed Salah and the ghosts of Egypt\u2019s \u2018golden generation\u2019\" class=\"read-more\" href=\"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/2026\/07\/06\/fifa-world-cup-mohamed-salah-and-the-ghosts-of-egypts-golden-generation\/\" aria-label=\"Read more about FIFA World Cup: Mohamed Salah and the ghosts of Egypt\u2019s \u2018golden generation\u2019\">Read more<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":7714,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7713","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-travel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7713","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7713"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7713\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7713"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7713"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/pronews.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7713"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}